The Hong Kong-born, Lisbon-based artist Movana Chen is bringing her performance series of interconnected wearable sculptures to London this week. Questioning the Line runs at the Coronet Theatre in Notting Hill from 14 to 17 October, timed to coincide with Frieze London, and is the largest iteration of the series to date.

The work centres on seven wearable sculptures — which Chen calls Body Containers — developed between 2005 and 2025. Seven performers, including Chen herself, each wear one of the sculptures and move in coordination, turning still objects into living beings as they collectively explore human relationships. The sculptures are knitted from shredded maps, a technically demanding process that weaves cartographic imagery directly into the body.

Chen has spent more than two decades refining the technique of knitting paper shreds with knitting needles. 'Paper comes from nature. It's very fragile, but when you weave it together, it's strong,' she says, drawing a parallel with human bonds: the knitting must be done with a soft, gentle motion, giving the material breathing space — much like relationships between people. Her primary base has been Lisbon since she relocated from Hong Kong five years ago.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the recently opened Contextile 2026 in Guimaraes, Portugal, and is held in major public and private collections including M+ in Hong Kong and the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. The London run presents the series at its most ambitious scale, with the paper-woven containers animated by a full ensemble of dancers.